Is there a correlation between poor state finances and mistrust in state government? 

According to the Gallup poll, which ranked states according to the percent of respondents responding "Great Deal" or "Fair Amount" when asked how much they trust their state government.

The study found the following states had the most respondents that trusted their state government (in order from best to worst):

1. North Dakota
2. Wyoming
3. Utah
4. South Dakota
5. Nebraska

These states had the fewest respondents that trusted their state government (in order from worst to best):

1. Illinois
2. Maine
3. Rhode Island
4. Pennsylvania
5. Louisiana

When comparing Trust in State Government to TIA's measure of Taxpayer Burden (each taxpayer's share of state debt), there is a correlation between states with low trust in government and high Taxpayer Burden, and states with high trust in government and low Taxpayer Burden. 

Here you can see all states that ranked in the top five for trust in government had a Taxpayer Surplus. 

Here, states with the lowest trust in government all had Taxpayer Burdens. Illinois- the worst state in Trust in State Government, also ranks poorly in Taxpayer Burden, with $45,000 owed per taxpayer- the third worst in the nation. 

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Transparent and truthful financial information is a cornerstone of a properly functioning democracy. Without this information, citizens lose trust in their governments, and state finances can suffer. At Truth in Accounting, we encourage governments to provide their citizens with truthful, transparent, and timely financial information.